When I first landed in Ausha, Tanzania, I felt a bit of an immediate culture shock. It was my first time travelling by myself internationally, and my first time in Tanzania. I immediately noticed a language barrier as many people speak solely Swahili. While I spent a little bit of time learning basic communication, I was immediately overwhelmed when I first landed. Nonetheless, I got to the MediTrip location, and I immediately felt welcomed by the staff, the other students, and the medical professionals participating in the organization. On my first day, I spent the time getting situated and figuring out the transport in the area. I also got to know the surrounding markets as well as Swahili slang that I hadn’t known before! One of the most useful greetings I’ve become familiar with is “mambo!”

In preparation for my trip, I spent a few weeks studying the maternal health climate specific to Tanzania as well as cultural norms. During my literature review, I learned about some of the barriers to healthcare affecting the country. Specifically, I investigated the barriers to maternal health in the community and learned that Tanzania’s healthcare system is largely impacted by a shortage of staff and infrastructural resources that make it especially difficult for people living in rural/remote areas-- which is a large majority for this region.

During my first week volunteering at Mount Meru Hospital, I had to get myself familiar with different equipment and different practices. It was interesting to learn about the specific practices at Mt. Meru Hospital that can be different from the hospitals that I’m familiar with back home. Some examples of these are different sterilization methods, monitoring, and equipment. After my first week, I find that I’m still trying to find my place and routine in the obstetrics and gynecological unit. I’m becoming more comfortable each day, and I’ve also enjoyed getting to know the staff.

Another fun surprise I’ve had being here was some of the study groups that we’ve had with the medical students studying at Mt. Meru Hospital. It was fun learning from these conversations and comparing public health systems between people from all across the world.